Drone rules in Kazakhstan: flying and park filming fees

Drone rules in Kazakhstan allow simple flights without a separate permit, as long as the drone is registered and you meet the open-category conditions. The harder question for a visitor is registration, because the process runs through Kazakh state services. Sort that out before you travel, or leave the drone at home.

The Code of Administrative Offences (Art. 563) sets a fine of 10 MCI for an individual, or 15 MCI with confiscation for a repeat within a year. MCI is the Monthly Calculation Index; our calculator converts it to tenge.

Open category: the conditions

Order No. 706 calls this category “Open”. You do not file a flight request for it.

Condition	Requirement
Weight	Up to 1.5 kg; 1.5–25 kg needs a Category 1 operator certificate
Registration	Registration certificate required; the Aviation Administration says from 0.25 kg, or any drone that can collect personal data
Type	Multirotor or helicopter
When	By day, in direct line of sight, no autonomous flight
Height	Up to 200 m in uncontrolled airspace, 50 m in controlled
Where not	Densely populated areas, prohibited, danger and restricted zones
Airfields	More than 8 km from the reference point
Clearance	Take off 50 m from people, vehicles and buildings; 100 m in flight (Aviation Administration)

The Aviation Administration counts areas with mosques, churches, markets and sports venues as densely populated, so a flight at a mausoleum or shrine needs a permit. Near borders, filming must be agreed with the border service and air defence; see border zones.

Registering your drone

According to Lada.kz, the steps are a technical declaration to the Aviation Administration through eOtinish, then an application on eLicense with a digital signature, reviewed within 10 working days. You then get a five-year certificate and a registration mark to put on the drone before its first flight. Check this directly with the Aviation Administration.

Flying over a park

The law on protected areas defines them as land, water and the airspace above. That does not make a ban by itself, nor a permission.

The 2019 Charyn park rules do not mention drones, and a request to the authorities has gone unanswered. Parks do ban frightening wildlife, so stay away from nesting birds and animals. The only tariff line with the word “aerial filming” is Tarbagatai’s in Order No. 232, which fits under the same photo and video fees.

What filming costs in parks

Fees are per day, with no split between hobby and commercial use. Most parks share one rate.

Area	Photo, MCI a day	Film and video, MCI a day
Ile-Alatau, Charyn, Altyn-Emel, Kolsai, Karkaraly, Kokshetau, Katon-Karagay, Sayram-Ugam, Zhongar-Alatau, Buiratau, Tarbagatai, Markakol	6.8	15.3
West Altai reserve	7.2	16.3
Korgalzhyn	5.2	10.4
Almaty reserve	4.4	8.7
Aksu-Zhabagly	4.3	8.7
Ulytau	2.66	3.26
Karatau	1.6	3.3

A photo day in a typical park costs 34 times the ordinary 0.2 MCI visitor fee. The order does not explain where a holiday snapshot ends and “conducting filming” begins; our Charyn photography page deals with this for the canyon. If you are working for a client, agree it with the park in writing.

Where you cannot film

Some bans apply even with no sign. Australia’s travel advice says photography is illegal near airports, military and guarded sites, borders and some government buildings. Check permits and safety for closed areas. Filming inside the Beket-Ata underground mosque is banned (Tengrinews, 2020), and more is on our etiquette page.

Not verified yet We could not confirm: park administration rules on drones, restricted-zone boundaries over parks, the registration route for a foreign tourist, or filming fees at Bayanaul, Naurzum and Ustyurt, where the table has no rate or a dash.

Frequently asked questions

Can a tourist fly a drone in Kazakhstan?

The rules apply to any airspace user, but the registration steps go through Kazakh services, eOtinish and eLicense with a digital signature. We could not confirm that a visitor can complete them. Contact Kazakhstan’s Aviation Administration before you pack a drone.

Can I fly over Charyn Canyon or Kolsai?

We found no park rule on drones, and the protected-area law counts the airspace above as part of the territory. Ask the park administration before you take off, and keep clear of wildlife.

Do I pay a fee for phone photos in a park?

Order No. 232 charges for conducting filming during visits and does not draw a line at phone snapshots. If you have bulky kit or a commercial purpose, ask at the entrance first.